


not your replacement

by dancingassassin



Category: Gundam 00
Genre: Comfort, Lyle being Lyle, Lyle has an inferiority complex, M/M, Regene being comforting, an excuse for cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-27 06:12:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6272965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancingassassin/pseuds/dancingassassin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lyle is tired of being compared to his brother. Regene is surprisingly comforting.</p><p>written for RottenAdel</p>
            </blockquote>





	not your replacement

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RottenAdel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RottenAdel/gifts).



Working at Celestial Being was difficult for Lyle at times. There were so many comparisons to his brother, specifically that Neil was so _great_ and well balanced and everything like that. Lyle was the one who had been able to move on after their family’s death. Neil was the one who had basically joined a terrorist organization.

But most of the time he could deal with it.

Most of the time he could just snort and laugh it off, or do something to prove that he wasn’t his brother. He could shrug off the glares from Tieria, ones that were often tinged with something akin to longing. He could ignore the looks from Feldt. The subtle things that ‘well, Lockon did this, or Lockon did that.’

_Well, he wasn’t their Lockon. He wasn’t the same person as Neil Dylandy._

But what he couldn’t accept was that they continuously tried to shoehorn him into his brother’s position on the team, right down to the codename.

Yes, they were identical twins. Yes, they both had very good eyesight. _No_ , Lyle wasn’t a sniper. He was a sharpshooter.

He understood that the gundam was already built, that the plans called for a sniper rather than a sharpshooter, but why try to force Lyle into a position that he couldn’t fill properly? It wasn’t fair to the team _or_ Lyle. It put unnecessary stress on him and whoever had the misfortune of seeing his shooting scores.

Lyle sprawled across the sofa, going over his shooting scores. They weren’t horrible, they were certainly better than most people could muster. But, as usual, they weren’t on par with Neil’s scores. He didn’t know why he was pouring over them so closely, he knew they wouldn’t ever come close. The simulation was for snipers and even with his best efforts, Lyle wasn’t a sniper.

“You look rather dour, Lyle.” Regene poked his head into the lounge, his expression nothing short of amused.

He grumbled and tucked the report away. “Well, I got glared at and told that ‘I am unfit to be a gundam meister’.”

Maybe he shouldn’t have commented on how cute Tieria is – his life had been full of suffering ever since those words had left his lips. If he could turn back time, he’d take that comment back. It wasn’t worth the death glares he got on a daily basis. And maybe if he hadn’t said that, Tieria wouldn’t be trying to force him into a role that clearly didn’t suit him.

“Well, status quo for you, yes?” The words were harsh, but the expression was entirely playful. Regene moved closer and sat on the edge of the sofa, perched elegantly with his legs crossed.

A slightly bitter laugh as Lyle finally sat up as he tossed the results off to the side. “It would be easier to let it go if they would work with my actual skillset rather than trying to shove me into my brother’s role.”

He hadn’t meant to actually say it, but well, it had happened.

Regene quirked a brow up, his head tilting to the side as he considered what Lyle had said. He scooped up the score sheet and looked through everything. There was a bit of a snort as he finished the report within seconds. “Celestial Being requires a sniper, Lyle Dylandy. They’re well within their rights to request for you to improve your abilities.”

Lyle crossed his arms over his chest and snorted. “I’m _fine_ with improving my abilities as a sniper, Regene. But I’m a far better sharpshooter than a sniper. Shouldn’t they be working with _my_ abilities as well?”

The innovade seemed to be considering that for a few moments, shrugging slightly. “The suit is already built. They’ve already made some modifications for you.”

That was a fair point – the bits system had been added for extra protection because _Lyle wasn’t a sniper._ And there had been so many whispers of ‘Lockon didn’t need this!’, ‘he’s his brother, he should be good at this too!’. Lyle was getting so tired of hearing it. He wasn’t his brother, he would never be his brother. He was his own person.

“Yeah, well. They asked me to fill a position without figuring out what my actual abilities are. It’s not my fault they have to modify things.”

Regene hummed and shifted on the arm of the couch, hands perching on his knees. So prim and proper. “Hm, you agreed to join Celestial Being knowing the position your brother would have had.”

“I’m _not_ my brother.” Lyle’s voice was a bit harsher at that. It was something that he’d been very adamant about for ages. He wasn’t Neil. He would never be Neil. Even when they were younger he’d done everything he could to distinguish himself from his brother.

He looked away from Regene after that, quietly seething about the comparisons. They followed him wherever he went and he never lived up to their expectations. He was always the disappointment, always the one looked at like he was the failure. Even though he was the one who had moved on and adapted.

There was an uncomfortable silence and Lyle wasn’t even sure that Regene was still there. He wouldn’t blame him if he walked out. _Lyle_ probably would have walked out if someone had talked to him like that.

“…I understand how you feel.” Regene’s voice was soft. “I’m compared to Tieria often.”

He finally glanced back over at Regene. He hadn’t considered that could happen, but Regene and Tieria were almost as identical as he and Neil were. If someone wasn’t paying close enough attention, then they’d surely get them confused. Lyle could tell them apart without issue. But he supposed someone who wasn’t used to twins would just get…confused.

Regene slid down onto the sofa. “…it isn’t the same, but…”

Lyle’s face softened slightly. “…I’m not Neil. I can’t be Neil. They don’t see me as anything but a replacement.”

They wouldn’t see him as _him_. They wouldn’t give him a chance to show what he could actually do.

“You’ve always been Lyle to me.”

That helped, it really did, but Lyle was still fidgety and, well, frustrated. He felt cool hands through his shirt guiding him down to Regene’s lap. He started to protest, but then Regene was stroking his hair very gently.

Lyle let out a low, shaky breath. It had been ages since he’d been comforted like this, since his mum was alive. It was something he’d missed so much and hadn’t even realized it. Rather, he hadn’t even thought of it. He closed his eyes and shifted a little closer to Regene, the frustration slowly easing out of his tense limbs.

Regene was whispering soft words, though they were all blending together and Lyle couldn’t really make them out. But each little action was helping him let go of his anger.

“…thanks Regene…”

A hum. More soft touches to his hair. “It’ll just take time, Lyle.”

That much he knew. He just wanted it to happen sooner. He sighed and snuggled up against Regene’s thigh. For now, he’d let it go. There was no sense in being angry and frustrated when he was getting cuddles.


End file.
